Women, Weights, and Osteoporosis

More than once, I have had a female client come in to work with us directly after a doctor did a bone density test and they had been told that they were at high or medium risk for osteoporosis. They started lifting weights with us and only one year later had their bone density retested and the bone loss was actually reversed – they went from being at high risk for Osteoporosis to low risk with only a year of effective strength training. I have been able to see the actual DEXA scans of my clients with my own eyes, in the real world and see that absolutely without a doubt strength training will increase bone mass and reduce, even reverse your risk of osteoporosis.
I have always said that there are far more benefits to strength train for women than there are for men including a decreased risk of osteoporosis. In an article on MSNBC by Amanda Chan she stated that women are twice as likely as men to break a bone due to osteoporosis. This is why it is twice as important for women to lift weights.
The scary thing is that some women including certain celebrity trainers and celebrities have gone to extremes to lose fat and have followed drastically low calorie and therefore low nutrient diets including cleanses and other extreme measures along with over exercising. These approaches may have actually caused more damage to their bodies, possibly even putting themselves into increased risk for Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.
To reduce your risk of these diseases use a strength training program that challenges your system and puts a demand on it beyond what it is used to along with fueling your body with nutritious fuel. Your body is probably not going to respond to an exercise program that includes lifting weights that weigh less than your purse. Keep in mind that your body is already used to carrying your purse everyday. The average women’s purse is at least 10 pounds. This means that to create a demand on your muscles and bones you should consider lifting weights that are challenging but that you are able to still keep proper form with. If you are not eating enough to fuel your body to do a challenging workout you will not benefit.
If your strength training program looks something like the video below you are not doing anything to reduce your risk of osteoporosis. This type of strength training will not put the kind of challenge on your system to create a decrease in bone loss and unfortunately this is what’s out there and is exactly what some celebrity trainers are preaching. Really?!?!?! This is exercise?
 Click here to view Video